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The 3D Film Archive’s 3D Blu-ray restoration of THE DIAMOND WIZARD arrived this week.

https://www.kinolorber.com/product/the-diamond-wizard-3-d-blu-ray  “The only Golden Age 3-D feature photographed in Great Britain, The Diamond Wizard (also known as The Diamond) packs suspense and surprise into a supremely exciting film noir thriller. While in London trying to nab the crooks who stole a million dollars from a U.S. Treasury vault, American federal agent Joe Dennison (Dennis O’Keefe, T-Men, Raw Deal) joins Scotland Yard Inspector McClaren (Philip Friend, Buccaneer’s Girl, Spy Hunt) in his search for a missing atomic scientist. They discover that the key to solving both cases may rest with the scientist’s daughter (Margaret Sheridan, The Thing from Another World, I, the Jury) and her fascinating diamond. Co-Directed by star Dennis O’Keefe (Angela) and Montgomery Tully (Query).”

Although filmed in 3D this film was never publicly exhibited in 3D at the time of its release.

It’s a shame theaters have been and continue to be so quick to turn against 3D.

This film is wonderful to watch. The use of depth and foreground space throughout is first rate.

Raymond and Nigel Spottiswoode knew their stuff. Their classic 1953 book “The Theory of Stereoscopic Transmission”   https://www.etcenter.org/classic-1953-book-the-theory-of-stereoscopic-transmission-now-available-free-on-line/    .

Then as now 3D purists decried the use of foreground space. THE DIAMOND wonderfully ignores the purists.

The main problem with the movies is not with the people who make them. It is with the exhibitors who show them.

When I took my 16mm prints on the road to theaters across Canada the only theater I worked with that I learned I could trust was John Tutt’s wonderful PRINCESS in Waterloo, Ontario.

Everywhere else I brought my own 16mm theatrical projector plus my own people to work with me.

The 3D movie experience at its best, as it is in this great restoration, is a joy on our eyes.

The policy at Kino Lorber and with THE 3D FILM ARCHIVE seems to be that if they can get the rights they will take the risk.

I wish Warner Archive, which owns the rights to so many as yet unreleased 3D motion pictures from the 1950s, would follow their lead as, clearly, there is a market for 3D Blu-rays of classic films.

Hopefully  Raymond and Nigel Spottiswoode’s A SOLID EXPLANATION, which is lots of fun, will get a 3DFA restoration:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGApG_2Zfxo&list=UU4H19pURM1jQAJG2SUyMXBg&index=24

–Reg Hartt

 

Others with more expertise have written about this release:

 

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Diamond-Wizard-3D-Blu-ray/293390/

 

https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/the-diamond-wizard-3-d-kino-blu-ray-preorder/

 

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=20616204

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film11/blu-ray_review_167/the_diamond_wizard_blu-ray.htm

 

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=260337&page=217

 

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